Self-closing receptacle.



L. C. VAN RIPER. SELF ULOBING BBUEPTAULB. urmcuror Hmm :mma no. nos.

, 985,955 Patented Mar.7,1911.

l SERBIE-SHEET 1.

l r IM UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

LEWIS C. "VAN RIPER,

or NEW vonk, N. Y.

SELFCLOSING RECEPTAGLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. '7, 1911.

Application filed ,Tune 20, 1908. Serial No. 439,540.

To ail whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, LEwIs C. VAN Ihren, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the borough of Manhattan and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful In'iprovements in SelfClosing Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to self closing receptacles and has for its objectto provide a closing device for bottles or other receptacles, andparticularly for receptacles such as salt shakers, which device willopen to allow the material to be delivered or shaken out of thereceptacle when the receptacle is` tilted, and will close automaticallyand by gravity when it is in upright position, so as to protect thecontents of the receptacle from dampncss and the impurities of the air.

My invention has for further object to provide a receptacle,particularly for salt and the like, which shall be a substitute for andan improvement upon the ordinary salt shaker, and which shall be cheapto manufacture, easily kept clean, which will deliver the salt freelyand protect the same against dampness and impregnation by impurities anddeterioration which results from exposure to the air.

The closing device of my invention might, of course, be applied to otherreceptacles than salt shakers.

The invention is illustrated in certain pre* ferred embodiments in theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a vertical section throughan ordinary salt cellar with the closure of my invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of a modilied form ofclosure. Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of the closure of my inventionapplied to receptacles having perforated caps. Fig. 5 is a verticalsect-ion through another form of receptacle, the closing device beingshown in elevation. Fig. 6 is an enlarged section through the closingdevice of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a plan view of this receptacle; and Figs. 8and 9 are details in perspective of the closing device.

Like characters of refere ce indicate like parts in the several ligure jthe drawings.

Referring first to Fig. 1, t

is an ordinary salt bottle, which has the screw-threaded neck A', onwhich is screwed a preferably metal cap B. I prefer to interpose awasher B between the cap and the bottle, so as to make the joint airtight. The cap has a circular opening B2 and around this a slightlyinturned flange B3.

Seated in the opening B2 is a spherical closing device C, which litsdown into the opening so as to close the same tightly. On the lower sideof this ball. are formed ribs or projections C which, by theirengagement with flange B3, retain the ball in the` opening, butnevertheless permit it to unseat when the receptacle is tilted or turnedupside-down.

It will be obvious that this arrangementwill provide for tightly closingthe bottle when it is in upright position, so as to eX- clude dampnessand such impurities as may be in the air. In this way the salt is keptfrom deterioration and impregnation by impurities and from becoming somoist that it will not easily be delivered from the shaker. lV hen theshaker is tilted, the salt will flow out of the annular opening betweenthe ball and the cap-piece and will be spread by the ball. I thus securea freer delivery of the salt -by keeping the same dry and, at the sametime, protect the salt from deterioration.

In Fig. 2 a different form of closing device is shown, the closingdevice D, in this case, being conical, instead of spherical.

In Figs. 3 and 4L I have shown a gravity closure applied in twodifferent ways to a receptacle, which delivers, in the customary way,through a perforated cap, thus combining the advantageous features ofthe closure of my invention with the advantages, if any there be, indelivering'the salt or other material through perforations. In Fig. 8the cappiece E has an interior flange F, which forms a seat for theclosing device F. Over the top of the cap-piece is a screen or sieve Gr,which may be screwed thereon, as shown. In Fig. Il the screen or sieve His secured within the cap-piece J, as, for example, against the rib J,the cappiece having an opening in the top in which is seated the gravityclosing device K.

Figs. 5to 9 inclusive illustrate another 'form of closure, in which theclosing device or gravity valve is provided with a series of radiatingfingers which divides the annular space into relatively smallperforations. This arrangement, when applied to a salt shaker, sifts outthe salt in the usual manner, while providing an eHective means forkeeping the salt dry and clean. The

' in a straight line.

continual impact back and forth between the closing device and the capeifectively prevents any tendency of the salt to clog. Referring now tothese igurcs, L represents the receptacle having thereon ascreivthreaded band Z, on which is screwed the cap M. rEhe closingdevice or valve consists of a flattened ball N, the shape, however, ofwhich is a matter of little moment, to which is attached the disk O, bymeans of a screw I. The disk is preferably concaved and slit so as toform the lingers 0. The ball N is preferably provided with the guides nwhich keep the closing device from having too much lateral play. Fig. 8shows the under side of the ball with the disk detached. Fig. 9 showsthe disk. By this latter' arrangement it Will be seen that an eectivevalve is provided for protecting the contents of the receptacle frommoisture and the iinpurities of the air by a very simple and inexpensivemodification of the ordinary salt shaker. Besides closing thereceptacle, the valve or closing device affords means, by its movementback and forth, for keeping the perforations free from clogging.

It vvill be noted that the cap is so formed as to constitute a rimaround the delivery orifice and that the valve or closing device isseated on the edge of this rim. Preferably this edge is placed at anangle approximating a right angle to the surface of the closing ball orvalve, and the edge is preferably sharpened. In this Way the salt orother material cannot lodge between the valve and its seat even when thematerial is more or less sticky and granular. It Will likewise be notedthat the closing device is of such construction that it is guided in itsmovements back and forth, so that the annular delivery orifice issubstantially the same on both sides. In the device of Figs. 5 to 9inclusive this is accomplished by providing the under side of the ballWith the plurality of Wings m Which come close enough to the edges ofthe rim to make the movement of the closing device practically In orderto economize space and provide a seat for the retaining means on theinside of the valves, I preferably, as shovvn in Figs. 3, l and 6, bevelthe Vrims around the delivery orifices to correspend With the slant ofthe retaining means.

Preferably I provide the closing device With a considerable number ofprojecting parts, such as the parts o in Fig. 9, which serve not only toretain the valve, but also divide the annular delivery orifice intocomparatively small holes, thus forming a sifter for the materialdischarged.

I do not Wish to be limited to these particular devices, constructionsand arrangements shovvn. For example, diifcrent forms of closing devicemight be used. I have shown the ribs C as secured to the closing device.These rib-s might, of course, be made integral therewith. rIhereceptacle of my invention has particular advantages, as abovesuggested, when it is used as a salt shaker'. other purposes.

I claim:

l. The combination with a receptacle-having an opening and a rim partaround said opening, of a closing device for the same which seats on theedge of said rim part and opens and closes by gravity, said edge lbeingbeveled, and retaining devices on the under side of said closing devicewhich do not close said opening, which corresponds to the bevel of therim.

2. The combination with a receptacle having an opening in the top, of acap-piece provided With an opening and an inwardly projecting rimportion, and al closing device which seats in said opening'in thecap-piece on said rim and is provided Within said cappiece with aplurality of projecting parts which serve as means for retaining theclosing device in said cap-piece and which divide the annular orificebetween' the cappiece and the closing device, when the latter isunseated, into a series of relatively small discharge perforations.

3. The combination with a receptacle having an opening in the top, of agravity closing device Which seats over the opening so as to close thesame, guide Wings on the under side of said closing device, and aplurality of projecting devices on the under side .of said closingdevice, sub-stantially as described.

LEWIS C. VAN HIPER. Witnesses:

JOSEPH M. Dnvnnn, ANNETTE M. REINEGKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

It might, of course, be used for f A the upper surface of

